Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has been cleared to play in the final round of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, beginning on Thursday in Anantapur. He will replace Sarfaraz Khan in the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India B team, which will face the Shreyas Iyer-led India D.
Yadav had been withdrawn from the squad prior to the first round as a precautionary measure to nurse a thumb injury. He had complained of discomfort while gripping the bat after sustaining a blow on his right thumb while fielding at the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Coimbatore.
Yadav, who hasn’t featured in any form of first-class cricket since last year’s Duleep Trophy, has expressed a desire to compete for a spot in India’s Test team. “There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again,” he said last month.
Going forward, Yadav is likely to be in action next during the home T20Is against Bangladesh in October, which could mean his unavailability for at least the first round of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season that’s set to kick off on October 11.
India B, who opened the tournament with a thumping win over India A, are currently second in the four-team table. An outright win in their final game will give them a good chance of clinching the title.
